The Distressor (DISTortion compRESSOR) is a digitally controlled mono analogue compressor that can emulate the sound and operation of several classic vintage compressors.There are knobs for input and output, attack and release and three switches to step through the various control modes.You can choose from eight ratio modes, each representing a different compression curve with a set threshold and ratio ranging from 1:1 up to NUKE which is ultimate brickwall limiting.The other two switches give various combinations of Hi Pass filter and band emphasis to work in the sidechain circuitry, and Hi Pass filter and distortion for the audio signal.

Good Points
This machine kills.If you need just one fully versatile mono compressor for your rack then this is it.The makers include suggested settings to emulate some old classics and the results are damn authentic - the Distressor can mimic an 1176, LA2A , DBX160 and a Fairchild.
The versatility is enormous, with all the ratio settings each contributing a different functionality, and the distortion settings adding a crucial degree of thickening and warmth. There is also plenty of envelope manipulation available from the attack and release controls. The 10:1 ratio sounds like a good optical compressor and does the business superbly on vocals, while the NUKE ratio is great for squeezing the sound out of drum kit room mics. Bad Points
The ratio knob cycles round the available settings in one direction only so if you switch to 10:1 and want to go back and compare it with 6:1 you have to cycle through all the other settings to get there with the likelihood of a large volume jump when passing from NUKE to 1:1.